Rice tells Beijing that the Dalai Lama is no threat to China

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she asked Chinese leaders yesterday to "reach out" to the Dalai Lama and said the exiled Tibetan leader is "no threat to China."

Speaking at a news conference after meeting President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) and other leaders, Rice said she asked "that China reach out to, in particular, the Dalai Lama, a man who is for Tibet, a man of considerable authority, considerable moral authority, but really is no threat to China."

Rice was in Beijing to discuss efforts to persuade North Korea to relinquish its nuclear ambitions. The secretary said she also talked with Chinese leaders about human rights and religious freedom.

China accuses the Dalai Lama of seeking independence for the territory. He has acknowledged that Tibet is part of China and says he wants only autonomy in order to protect Tibet's unique Buddhist society, but Beijing views him with suspicion.

Emissaries from the two sides have held meetings to discuss autonomy and the Dalai Lama's possible return but have reported no major progress. The latest meeting was on June 30-July 1 in Switzerland.

Chinese communist troops marched into Tibet in 1950. Beijing says the Himalayan territory has been Chinese territory for centuries, but many Tibetans say they had de facto independence for much of that time.

The Dalai Lama has lived in India since fleeing during a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959. He received the Nobel Peace Price in 1989.